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Archive for the ‘Jewelry’ Category

We have been manufacturing and selling The Bell Collection by Jewelry John since early 1998. All of our bells are made from Sterling Silver (we also make them on an individual basis in 14K gold). They are cast, assembled and finished individually with jewelers care, giving utmost attention to every detail from bail to clapper. The entire Bell Collection is manufactured in Austin, Texas USA.

The bells are made using the “lost wax method” which means, we make a rubber mold from an original carved wax, a wax copy is then made for each body, bail and clapper. The parts are then attached (sprued up) to a wax tree. A temperature resistant plaster of Paris type material (investment) is poured around each tree in a rubber cup (this step is called investing). When the material hardens, it is removed from the cup and put into a kiln, which reaches a temperature of 1350° F. The wax is vaporized leaving a plaster mold into which molten silver is poured, making the bells. They are removed, cut from the tree and go through numerous processes before the 3 pieces are assembled by hand, making a completed bell. Each bell is then given a final polish before being sent to our retailers.
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Copyright 2006 Tatstar

When it comes to style and skill, one of the world’s class footballers David Beckham is probably the envy of most men. No other man has put mens’ jewellery firmly on the style map like Beckham has. Let’s face it most men wouldn’t turn a blind eye if Beckham was all style and no skill on the pitch. But Beckham is blessed with style, substance and most importantly he ranks high because of his skill with the ball on the pitch.

You’ve probably seen all the pictures. First, there were the winning haircuts; floppy blonde, shaved head and the mohican. Then the tabloids captured him appearing at a nightclub in a sarong to reveal both body and the legs.

But it was when Beckham started wearing expensive diamond watches, jewellery and diamond earrings? Not just one diamond stud piercing an earlobe but two diamond earrings. It’s a head-turning remarkable style triumph by Beckham who effortlessly gave men permission to wear mens’ jewellery. Had another man tried to pull off wearing earrings he may have not been as successful.

At the Beckhams’ pre-World Cup party, again mens jewellery was on dazzling display. England’s full-back Ashley Cole arrived in his version of “Full length and Fabulous”. Naked from the waist up, Ashley Cole’s dinner jacket was replaced with mens’ jewellery.
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The first thing you will want to do when stringing your necklace or bracelet is select the appropriate size and length of thread for your beads. I prefer to use griffin beading silk that comes on a card with a needle attached. It comes in a variety of sizes and colors so it is easy to find one that will match nearly any type of gemstone bead or pearl. The best way to determine what size is appropriate is to test the beads by stringing one on the silk. I have found that size 4 usually fits most pearls. Most precious stones are drilled very small because they are sold by carat weight so they will often fit on a size 1 or 2 thread. If you are not going to use griffin beading silk with an attached needle, you will need to determine how much thread or silk you need. My rule of thumb for knotting is to set out double the length of the necklace or bracelet. So if you want to make a 7-inch bracelet, you’ll want to allow 14 inches of silk or thread.

If you are a first time knotter, I would recommend knotting for a while without worrying about putting a clasp on, just so you can get the hang of it. You can then cut the practice strand apart when you are happy with how your knots look. Even if you are an experienced knotter, I recommend doing a few practice knots to make sure that you are happy with the size of the knots on the thread you have chosen. Once you have found the right size thread you are ready for the next step: attaching the clasp.

There are several ways of attaching clasps. I prefer to use French wire over bead tips because it is more secure and has a more finished look. First you tie a slip knot at the end of the thread and string your bead onto the silk. Then you string on about ¼ to ½ inch of appropriately sized French wire. You want the wire to be large enough that it does not slide into the hole of the bead but small enough that the clasp will fit onto it. If you are stringing beads with very large holes and large thread you may not be able to find French wire that will fit onto the thread. In that case, since the thread is so large I simply use the thread to attach the clasp. In any case once you have strung on the bead, the French wire and the clasp, you string the needle back through the hole in the bead that it just came through so that the French wire forms a loop with the clasp on it. This will leave you with a clasp on one side of your bead and a slip knot and your needle with thread on the other side. After you have attached the clasp and strung the needle and thread back through you are ready for the next step: stringing and knotting.
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When we think beads, we normally think of bracelets, anklets, hair ornaments and necklaces. What about beaded earrings? Well, earrings are mostly made of metal, enamel and precious stones, some of us think. Earrings are fancy and expensive!

Fortunately, earrings don’t have to be fancy, or expensive, or made of just one extravagant material — or a combination thereof. A person can be elegant without spending a lot of money, and a person can be elegant without looking so metallic!

American Indians used to create very elaborate beaded jewelry for different purposes. Among them were dream catchers — ritual items placed on cradles and other sleeping areas in order to drive away bad dreams — and beaded earrings for the women. A common stone involved in the making of bead jewelry is turquoise, which is said to lend strength of conviction and character to the wearer.

Some beads are made of semi-precious stones, and as such make beaded earrings that are comparable to earrings made from other kinds of exotic materials — like hemp. Beads come in virtually every hue of the color spectrum, so it is no problem to find or make beaded earrings to catch one’s fancy. Read the rest of this entry »